Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Olympic Bold

Is it just me or is America getting its ass kicked at the Olympics?  Didn’t it used to be a tight competition between the Russians, the Americans, the East Germans and the Rumanians?  Some African nations always outran us, outtracked and outfielded us, but we could be assured we would take a lot of Olympic Gold in other areas.  Today things are different.  As of this writing, China has 13 gold medals and we have 9.


Do the Olympics reflect real life?  Are they a litmus test of world politics?  Do they have any social or political relevance?  Are they something just old people watch?  I haven’t asked my sons, but I bet they’re not watching the Olympics. 


As a kid, I enjoyed the Winter Olympics.  Odd-- I had the notion I would one day grow up to be a world champion ski jumper.  It was only logical, since I was growing up in the shadow of the Southwest Museum in sunny Southern California.  


I had seen snow a few times in Big Bear and I could point to Norway on a map.   I reckoned that qualified me.  There was something about the downhill speed, the great soaring freedom in the air, high above the pines, and the eventual landing on bended knee on packed powder that had me in its thrall.  



In adulthood, I made it to Oslo and saw Holmenkollen ski jump up close and personal.  Scary.  The top of it stretched into the sky at a perverse angle. The sailing-off place was many stories above the ground.  It might work for Rocky the Flying Squirrel, but not for me.  What the hell had I been thinking, safe in my living room, in front of the TV in my flannel p.j.’s with my cat cradled in my arms?


So far, the best part of these Olympics has been the opening ceremonies.  Didn’t director Danny Boyle do a fine job, exploiting the multi-century star quality of England, both in the arts and popular culture, and turning it into a big-screen, cinematic culturefest that translated quite well onto the small screen?  


The English are peculiar yet lovable.  They can come off as haughty and full of themselves.  They live on a tiny island and consider the rest of the world “foreigners”.  I doubt they are the toffee-nosing, politically correct mealy mouths we have become.  It’s most likely still a British-centric universe to them.  


These are the people who brought us spotted dick, dowager hump and the card game, bridge.  They also brought us the Beatles, Monty Python, New Wave music and James Bond.  I love their quirky originality. Maybe it comes of geographic isolation.  Maybe it comes from the opposite-- the fresh  blood delivered by the many colonials who have returned to Mother Britain.  It looks like England is the new Great Melting Pot.  We’re already cooked.

11 comments:

  1. "Toffee - nosing" Like it. Tally Ho!

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  2. Doug-- you are such a stitch. You always did crack me up and still do. Thank you for following and commenting. It means a lot.

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  3. I just can't wait for all my favorite sports to come on. As the years go on, my olympic fantasies get narrower and narrower. I used to dream about the marathon and about 17 other sports. Now, I fantasize about the air rifle. At least there's no running.

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    1. I love that pragmatic side to your personality, John. Did you hear this morning, as I did, that an El Monte woman took the Gold for skeet shooting? No running involved-- and she has won this for the fifth consecutive time. Ho ho!

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  4. Maybe you are right-Olympic luster has tarnished as has the American spirit. Where is the long held belief in fair play that we held in regard. Could be the national
    politicl season has dimmed the view of the American sporting hero. Sadly it seems to affect many of us in more ways than we realized. Too bad the Olympics have to feel the bite and small mindedness of American political mediocrity. It is a deafeningly sad time.

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  5. WOW! You are hit hard by the ills of America today. Seeing the fresh and hopeful faces of the world's athletes, so willing to work hard for a goal, should lift your spirits at least one little jot. :)

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  6. I feel I am so out of the loop these days, months, years...perhaps! I simply CAN NOT watch live TV. And yes, I could DVR it, but that also does't seem to work with sports events for me because it is better to watch them live. I guess I need to plop down in front of the telly in a bar where I can at least sip beer, eat peanuts, and discuss the "events" during the commercials.
    So, long story short...I'm never going to watch the Olympics...at least not this year...humph!
    But I like being kept up on the El Monte winners via this blog!
    Charlotte

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    1. You're a busy busy bee, running multiple businesses. Do you think I watched TV while I worked my shops? The whole world watched Roots. Not me. The whole world watched Dallas. I had no idea who shot J.R. because I didn't know who J.R. was.

      Keep promoting truth, beauty and the BuddhaMouse way of life. It's your gift to the world. I hear BuddhaMouse wins the Gold when it comes to world merchandise.

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  8. Like Charlotte, I just don't watch TV. I'm not a sports fan either, so it's hard for me to comment on the Olympics. But I'm glad you're out there blogging about the games, Marta, for all the fans and would-be fans!

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  9. It is very kind of you to comment since you have no interest in the Olympics, Eileen. Thank you! We have won more medals since I first wrote the blog and Michael Phelps has, of course, done himself proud.

    i still think NBC's coverage is SO skewed. As I heard someone on NPR say earlier today, "Didn't the Olympics used to feature young athletes from all over the world, competing against one another? NBC seems to think the Olympics are about American athletes competing against other athletes in favorite American sports."

    I mean-- how much beach volleyball can one nation watch?

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